Define Love
by LonelyBallerina
Summary: Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end. Lucy asks for Loki's help in defining love. One-shot! Fluff! T for language.


**A/N: Bored again so I wrote this. Although I haven't thought this over. So...uh...read! **

**Disclaimer: I'm sleepy so let's get on with it. Hiro Mashima made this.**** Those names in between parentheses are the writers of the quotes. Credit goes to them too.**

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><p><strong>Define Love<strong>

"Gate of the Lion, I open thee!" Lucy yelled as she held her most treasured golden key.

Leo, the Lion, who goes by the name of Loki, appeared. Perpetually regal and handsome. Deep apricot was his hair, almost gleaming with the sun's rays. The tuxedo he wore perfectly suited his facade of royalty. He adjusted his glasses with a mischievous grin, "Your prince is here".

Prince? He can be easily compared to a god. But no, he was a spirit of the Zodiac, the one who led. Immortal and extremely powerful...and controlled by a Celestial Spirit Mage, his master, Lucy.

"Are you in distress, my damsel?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Lucy sat comfortably on the couch, both feet resting on the table. On her lap was a blue notebook and a pen. She was writing again, the state in which she concentrated and offered her knowledge into, that is, except from battling. The aroma of chamomile tea hung in the air along with the lovely scent of early spring.

She had an uneasy smile as she shook her head.

"What ails you, princess?" he approached her and held one of her hands. Strange enough, she didn't back away from his touch. Her brown eyes were full of uncertainty as she bit her lower lip.

Sighing, she asked, "Can you help with something, Loki?"

He nodded, "I'll do anything...give anything to aid you. Even my life. You know that".

She did, knew it deep within her, a feeling so strong, it gave her warmth. "As I will to all of you. But your life isn't really necessary for this...Just your experiences"

His eyes grew wide at that last part. Slowly, he stood up. And loosened his tie. "My experiences interests you, princess?"

"Stop calling me princess. I have a name, you know. And yeah, it does," her eyes darted towards the items on her lap. "I need you to-What the hell are you doing?"

Loki froze at her outburst, confused. He was already in the middle of taking off his white polo when she halted him. His fingers were at the last button and his chest was displayed. Black orbs met with chestnut ones.

Lucy, on the other hand, forced herself to divert her gaze. Not only was he fit, he was also muscular. And those eyes, she could just melt under them. She shook her thoughts away. "Did Gray traumatize you or something? Wear your freaking clothes!"

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted my experiences," he said.

"Yes, I do..."

"Then? I know you're scared. But it won't hurt, I promise. You'll even scream from-"

Her gaze flickered toward him, "Scream? What are you-" Then, reality dawned on her. "Oh, you mean-What the-No way! I'm not doing that. I just wanted your experiences of love! Not sex. Damn it!"

His face showed understanding first then a slight disappointment and lastly, control. "Love, is it?"

She nodded stiffly.

Smiling, he sat beside her with his polo still unbuttoned and his chest bare, "What about love?" His voice was seductive and smooth. It was torture to not fall into his arms but Lucy dominated her urges, she always did but somehow, she seemed to question how...and why.

"U-um...What is it?" Lucy stammered, her fingers fiddling with the pen in hand.

Loki leaned in her direction lazily and Lucy had to move away from him; since if he were to touch her, it would make it even harder to focus. "What is what?"

"Love!" she yelled in annoyance.

He stretched his hands and placed them behind his head. "Ah. That," closing his eyes, he mused over the word. For a moment, she thought he had slept but his silly grin was intact.

She tapped her pen impatiently in a random beat, "Well? Are you going to tell me what it is soon or do I have to call for Virgo?"

"You know she's a virgin, right?" he asked, amused.

The Stellar Mage held her chin up, offended, "Are you saying virgins are inexperienced with love? It's called love not lust. And in my opinion, they're entirely different".

"The desire of love is to give. The desire of lust is to get** (Ed Cole)**. In other words, they go great together," he explained, in a manner of fact.

She opened her mouth to protest but closed it and wrote instead. "Okay...Now, tell me about love itself"

He straightened his pose at that. Normally, she would've bit his head off yet she acknowledged him. Writers. They, indeed, have inexplicable moods. Not to mention, extraordinary questions.

Loki was clueless but as long as she was with him, he didn't care much. He said, "Hm. Love is metaphysical gravity **(Buckminster Fuller)**".

Lucy tapped her pen against her chin in deep thought. She nodded, "Good. Since no one can go against gravity, love prevails. Is that it?"

Shrugging, "More or less"

After taking down her notes, she shifted positions so that she was directly facing him with legs folded and hands eager, "What else can you tell me about love? How does it feel like?".

With that, he glanced at her. The topic might've scared him then but right now, it didn't. He welcomed the feeling of unfamiliarity. If she asked him before, way before they met, he wouldn't have an answer. One might wonder that after years and endless eternity, he might've experienced it even once but no, he never did. What happened with Karen was purely business. And those women were, he hated to say it, for fun and a night or two's satisfaction.

With Lucy, primarily, it was friendship then it grew...worse.

"Love is something eternal, the aspect may change but not the essence **(Vincent Van Gogh)**". It was true nonetheless. Love does not fade, it never will. Because love, in itself, is immortal.

Her face was now buried behind the book, carefully writing it down, word per word. She didn't even notice that his eyes were fixed on her every movement.

He smiled at the way she scribbled. Her head furrowed in concentration and her lips pursed in thought. That golden hair framed her face even more beautifully in the sun's light. "To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven **(Karen Sunde)**"

"Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop **(H. L. Mencken)**". Those memories of them fighting together. Their own wars had been hard, almost impossible to win, even but she gave him strength and that was the only thing he needed.

"The closer I'm bound in love to you, the closer I am to free **(Robert G. Ingersoll)**," dazedly, he muttered.

Startled, she peeked at him. He seemed to have gone on and on about it, not once stopping for her to ask another question. This emotion, it seems, he knew too much of.

"Loki..." she called.

His mouth was in the midst of starting another but stopped, "Yes?"

"What does love really feel like? And this time, no quotes, just your version," her smile was warm and inviting.

Confused, he stammered, "We-well, love is...for me, it's..." He sighed and ran his fingers through his thick strawberry blonde hair, exasperated, "Love is complicated".

Her brows raised at his confession. Nothing is complicated for the Lion. He has done everything with ease and without difficulty. But then, it appeared, she was wrong.

"You just don't know how to identify...or separate other emotions from it. Happiness, lust, grief, jealousy..." he added.

Now _that_ was surprising. Loki...had experienced jealousy? Her mouth opened but he didn't notice, he was too busy staring at the table and having an outspoken argument with it. "How then will you be sure that you're in love?" she asked, interrupting his train of words.

The question had taken him aback. It made Lucy smile even wider that he wasn't expecting it, "Ah. That is...when you...can't go a day without thinking about her...just like when you consider your day incomplete without having a glimpse of her...You like seeing her, even without the touches, just being with her gives you joy. Being close to her, you feel lucky. But when she loves you back..." he let the sentence hang.

"Yeah?" she urged him on.

"You feel as if both of you have won a game, the most arduous and complex you've ever played," he whispered.

Her notebook was now closed on her lap. But she questioned him still, "So, you've felt that a thousand times now?"

The expression he gave her was almost pained, "No. No, love came only once for me"

"Really? Who was she?" eagerness evident in her voice.

He averted his gaze and stood upright, returning to his formal self, "It's been a while since I've been here. Shouldn't I go back, Lucy?"

"But I haven't-" she went beside him. Defeated, she said, "Fine then. You can return"

A golden glow enveloped him as he vanished into the world that was beyond earth and to the world of spirits and stars. The air felt as if an unseen power still lingered at the empty space.

Lucy breathed out heavily, "I guess I'll have to try again". Her eyes gazed at her notebook. It fell open when she rose from the couch.

Written on it were Loki's definition of love and beside each were check marks or the word 'yes'.

"Why can't I tell him that I..." sighing even more, she finished her sentence, "...love him?"

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><p>At a place where the stars ruled the heavens, the Lion stood motionless and alone.<p>

"Other men said they have seen angels but I have seen thee and thou art enough **(G. Moore)**," he mumbled to no one but himself and the glittering diamonds.

Cursing himself, he whispered, "Why? Why can't I tell you, Lucy?"

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><p><strong>AN: Aww. Why couldn't they tell each other how they feel? Sigh. It seems I can relate. Oh well~  
><strong>

**Review my work, okay? I accept flames and compliments. **

**And don't be shocked if I reply to said review. I usually express my gratitude through PMing.**


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